Chris Boonzaier Posted January 16, 2012 Posted January 16, 2012 I found some old scans of the docs i mentioned....
Gordon Williamson Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 Fabulous ! Many thanks for posting. My guess is that it would be carried by the guys who wore this armband. The fact that the British had such properly printed dual language ID docs and armbands in service within a few days of the end of the war certainly suggests forward planning and that it had been intended for some time to make use of former Feldgendarmerie troops after hostilities ended, and it wasn't just a spur of the moment decision.
hucks216 Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 What is the reasoning behind the German General's signature, in this case Joachim Coeler? There must of been British officers around to validate the pass, or was it to provide a sense of extra validation of this soldiers position for ex-members of the Wehrmacht that he might of had to deal with?
Gordon Williamson Posted January 17, 2012 Posted January 17, 2012 Yes, very interesting. It appears that Coeler ( a former Naval Officer) didn't have a post as such at the end of the war and was in the "Führer Reserve". The post though, of "General der Wehrmachts Ordnungstruppe" was a pre-existing one so I guess that the British wanted to leave the German command structure pretty much intact and have a senior ranking (General) officer answerable to them for the use/performance of these troops.
Paul R Posted January 18, 2012 Posted January 18, 2012 Awesome piece. There are not too many of these transitional items around!
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